How to Get a Tesla Model X for $70K or Less

The gift-giving season has begun, so what about those who would like to put a bow on the Tesla Model X and toss the fob to a loved one? Unfortunately, delivery would not happen until late 2016, so maybe next year. On the flip side, you will be able to get a trim below the ultra-pricey Signature (90 kWh) edition that debuted in September at $132,000, if you can wait. In fact, there are several states where it is possible to nab the base model of this electric SUV for less than $70,000.

We’re talking after federal tax credit and state incentives for EVs, of course, but the base Model X has finally emerged for consumers, and you would have to consider the price reasonable compared to the high-end models. Though the configurator was off the Tesla website at press time, Green Car Reports published a screen shot of a previous visit listing the Model X 70D at $80,000 before the $1,200 destination charge.

Knocking off the $7,500 federal tax credit the following year, consumers could get the base model for $73,700. Then the time for state incentives arrives. Colorado consumers taking another $6,000 off the price would get a Model X for $67,700, while Maryland residents would pay $70,700 for an option-free Model X after the incentives were counted. Incentives are available in seven other states, with Louisiana’s $8,000 quote topping the bunch.

Then there are the savings on gasoline to consider. For a Model S, Tesla quotes drivers save about $8,000 over the course of five years driving the company’s flagship electric sedan. In the electric utility vehicle from the automaker, the estimate is higher.

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According to the screen grab posted on Green Car Reports, Tesla sees customers saving $9,000 driving the Model X over the course of five years. At this point, consumers could see the falcon-winged performance EV as comparable to any other luxury vehicle on the market.

Of course, you cannot brag about having “ludicrous” speed upgrade ($10,000) or the higher range you get from the 90 kWh battery models if you want to opt for the entry-level Model X. Instead, you would get 220 miles of range, a top speed of 140 miles per hour, and a zero to 60 time of 6.0 seconds in the 70D. All things considered, not bad.

There have been criticisms lobbed at Tesla that the automaker is catering strictly to the wealthy, and that’s a fair assessment of the way the company has entered the scene. However, with the introduction of the base Model X, we will rest easy that some people who aren’t millionaires can afford one. That should tide us over until the Model 3 makes an appearance in 2016.